CASH-strapped Harlow Council has defended its decision to spend thousands on a spy car as the schools return from their summer holidays.

Council accounts seen by Your Harlow show that Harlow Council spent £32,000 between January and March on payments to Colchester Borough Council, who run the North Essex Parking Partnership.

As part of the partnership, a “spy car” is deployed to patrol Harlow. Part of its job is to target parking.

The car had not been seen for a while but has been seen over the last few days, which co-incides with the schools returning.

A number of Harlow residents have welcomed more robust action in respect of parking outside schools especially residents near to Jerounds and Holy Cross primaries.

A Harlow Council spokesperson said: “The invoice for £16,500 was the quarterly payment to the Parking Partnership covering 1 January 2014 to 31 March 2014.

The invoice for £16,795.51 was a credit balance for the sale of daily visitor permits on behalf of the partnership.

“Enforcement of parking and waiting restrictions, both on Harlow streets and in Harlow Council owned car parks, is undertaken by the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP). The NEPP carries out enforcement across the Partnership area, helping make streets safer for all, traffic flow more freely and reduce congestion.